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Medicare and Counselors: What's YOUR Story?

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| Jun 10, 2013

Here's how one counselor described why she wanted Congress to pass legislation establishing Medicare coverage of counselors:

"For years I have had graduate counseling students who want to work with older adults. They do internships in retirement communities, nursing homes, hospitals, agencies on aging, etc. Supervisors have given high marks for their work with clients and would like to add them to their staff numbers. But when it comes time for employment, they are out of luck because they are not Medicare reimbursable as are the social workers with whom they must compete for positions."

And here's another:

"I am an LPC in private practice.... We have no LCSWs or psychologists...practicing in our town. One agency (open only 3 days a week) does have some individuals credentialed to serve Medicare, but in general, local Medicare recipients have to travel 40-100 miles for services. My office takes numerous calls weekly seeking services that cannot be provided in town."

Next month counselors from across the country will be converging on Washington D.C., and will be asking their members of Congress to cover counselors under Medicare. We want to arm them with new examples from their colleagues--from every State in the Union!--showing why this is needed.

Please send a brief email to Art Terrazas with ACA at aterrazas@counseling.org to share your story on Medicare, or to find out how you can help us push for this long-needed change in Medicare policy. We will not use any personally identifiable information about you or your clients without checking with you first.